Field tent



Aug- 5, 1947 `R. G. HARRIS l l 2,425,279

R. G. HARRIS Aug. 5, 1947.

FIELD TENTS Filed Oct. 16, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 5, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIELD TENT Richard G. Harris Knoxville, Tenn..

Application october 1s, 19.45, serial Nn. 622,528

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to tents and presents improvements in field tents of the kind shown in my Patent No. 1,190,999, July 11, 1916.

In said patent, a frame structure was provided in which the parts could be assembled in different positions to produce either a rectangular house type of tent or one of a circular shape known as a Siberian type tent. The frame structure of said patent employed a cap with main ridge poles permanently pivoted thereto and secondary or outer ridge poles detachably connected to the cap when a circular type tent frame was to be set up and capable of being detachably connected to the ends of the main ridge poles when the latter were positioned to form the ridge of a rectangular or house type tent. In the patent, the main ridge poles had brace connections to the cap when set up for both types of tents but there was no provision for bracing the outer ridge poles when they were connected to the cap. One object of this invention is to provide an eiective bracing connection between the cap and all of the ridge poles in the circular type tent.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bracing and locking member on the cap which by a rotary motion will simultaneously engage and lock all of the ridge poles in a -circular tent and 'will also brace and lock the main ridge poles when they are longitudinally alined, to form the ridge of a. house tent.

A further object is to provide improved means for stretching and fastening the canvas coverings for either of the two types of tents.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention resides inthe novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tent frame embodying the invention, the parts being set up t form a Siberian type tent, and the canvas or other exible covering being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a detai] horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l, the canvas covering being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, with parts omitted, showing the tent frame set up to form a rectangular or house tent, the canvas covering being in section.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the structure shown in Fig. 4, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

(Cl. 13E-4) Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the means for stretching and holding down the canvas tent frame covering, a portion of the latter being also shown.

As in the above-named patent, my improved tent frame embodies a centrally positioned circular cap from which radiate swinging ridge poles carrying at their lower ends upright Ysupporting posts, the poles being al1 inclined downwardly and outwardly from the cap when the frame is set upto form a circular tent. The series of ridge poles include two main poles which are pivoted atdiametrically opposite points on the cap and are swingable upwardly to horizontal positions so that they will be longitudinally alined, and a plurality of outer or intermediate poles with upper ends detachably pivoted to the cap so that when detached and the main poles are horizontally alined, said ends may be detachably secured to the outer ends of the main poles to form the framework for a rectangular or house tent. In the drawings, 'I denotes the cap which is 0f frusto-conical shape and includes a hub portion 8 connecting spaced plates 9. Also connecting these. cone-shaped plates are radially projecting ears I'Il arranged in spaced pairs and carrying pivot pins II. Fixed centrally within the open hub 8 is an upright tube or sleeve I2 supported by an annular series of radial webs I3 which space the outer wall of the sleeve or pipe from the hub 8 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The two main ridge poles are designated by the numeral III and have their upper ends pivoted at diametrically opposite points on the cap by means of two of the. pivot pins I I. These main poles are preferably, but not necessarily, permanently pivoted to the cap, but the outer or intermediate ridge poles I5, any number of which may be used, have their upper ends detachably engaged with the other pivots II. A11 of the poles I4, I5 are of Teshape in` cross section, the cross portions being disposed horizontally and the vertical por-- tions at the upper ends of the poles I5 are formed with hooks IB as shown in Fig. 3. These hooks engage the pivot pins II between the ears Ill and when the poles I5 are in their downwardly in-l clined positions, their horizontal anges will abut the outer edge of the upper plate 9 of the cap.

The outer ends of the main poles I4 are enlarged as shown at I'I and on opposite sides of their vertical flanges, at said ends, are laterally projecting loopsvl adapted to be engaged by the hooks I6 when the outer or intermediate poles are detached from the cap and the main poles I4 are swung to horizontal position to form a 'the member I9 comprises a circular plate from the center of which rises a tubular post or pipe 20 that extends through and is rotatable in the sleeve I2 as shown in Fig. 3. The lower end of the post 20 is suitably xed to the plate I9 and is formed with a shoulder to engage the lower end of the sleeve I2, its upper projecting end being screw-threaded as at 22 so that a pipe 23 may |be threaded thereon to rotatably support the post and plate coaxially with the cap beneath it and the upper ends of the poles. The opening through the tube or pipe 20 extends through the plate I9 and that passageway may provide for ventilation of the tent or may be suciently large to be used as a smoke pipe for a stove that may be within the tent.

The interengaging means between the ridge poles and the rotatable bracing and locking member I9 preferably consists of an annular or circumferentially extending series of ngers 24 which are spaced from the outer edge of the plate I9 and all of which are adapted to enter transverse apertures or openings 25 formed in the vertical portions of all of the poles I4, I5, when the member I9 is rotated in one direction. If desired, a handle I9' (Fig. 1) may be provided on the plate or member I9 to permit it to be readily turned in one direction so that the ngers 24 will enter the openings 25 in al1 of the poles when set up .to form a circular tent or turned in the opposite direction to disengage the fingers from the openings. The same bracing and locking member I9 may be used for Ibracing and locking the two main ridge poles I4 when they are in their horizontal positions to form the rectangular or house tent, by providing vertical portions of those poles with downwardly projecting lugs 26 having apertures 2I adapted to receive diametrically opposite ngers 24 as will be understood on reference to Fig. 4.

Pivotally connected as at 28 to the lower o outer ends of all of the ridge poles are supporting posts 29, the lower ends of which are preferably screw-threaded as at 39 to receive detachably foot pieces 3l adapted to rest upon the ground or other surface upon which the tent is set up. These ground-engaging feet 3| are formed with laterally projecting lugs 32 which are apertured to receive an anchoring pin 33 adapted to be driven into the earth. In order to stretch and hold down the canvas or other iiexible covering C which is applied to the tent frame after it has been set up, I provide for each of the posts 29, a slidable member 34 which is adapted to be engaged and moved by the anchoring pin 33 and which has means for engaging and holding the flexible covering C. The slide 34 as shown ln Fig. 6, preferably consists of a plate formed with an opening to slidably receive the post 29 and having at one end an opening 35 .through which the anchoring pin 33 may slide until its head 3B strikes the top of said plate. The opposite end of the latter is preferably formed with a downwardly projecting portion 31 from which projects one or more downturned hooks 38 adapted to enter metal eyelets 39 carried by the tent canvas or covering C. It will be seen that when the hooks 38 are engaged with the eyelets 39 and the anchoring pin 33 is driven downwardly into the ground through the aperture or guide in lug 32 on the foot piece, the canvas covering will be stretched and held down and at the same time, the post carrying such foot piece will be prevented from moving.

When the frame of the tent is set up to form a house tent as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, by swinging the main ridge poles I4 from their inclined positions to horizontal positions and detaching the intermediate or outer poles I5 from the cap and engaging their hook ends with the loops I8 on opposite sides of the outer ends of the poles I4, said ends will be spaced upwardly from the ground a greater distance than the lower ends of the poles I5. In order to support the outer ends of the poles I5 when thus positioned, extension posts 40 are provided. These extension posts have at their upper ends internally threaded sockets 4I, their lower ends being threaded as at 42. When they are to be used on the posts 29 pivoted to the outer ends of the poles I4, the foot pieces on the posts 29 are removed so that the sockets 4I may be engaged with the threaded lower ends of the posts 29. The foot pieces thus removed, are applied to the threaded ends 42 of the extension posts 4I! as will be readily understood on reference to Fig. 4.

From the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that novel and advantageous structure has been provided for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed, attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a tent frame, a circular cap, swingable poles radiating from the cap, a rotary bracing and locking member mounted coaxially with said cap, and coacting means on said member and said poles to interengage when said member is rotated.

2. In a .tent frame, a circular cap, swingable poles radiating from the cap and formed With transverse openings, and a bracing and locking member mounted for rotation coaxially with said cap Iand provided with an annular series of circumferentially extending and spaced ngers to simultaneously engage the apertures in said poles when said member is rotated.

3. In a tent frame, a circular cap having a centrally-positioned circular sleeve xed therein, poles radiating from the edge of said cap and swingably engaged therewith, a circular bracing and locking member beneath said cap and poles, a post rising centrally from said member and rotatably mounted in said sleeve, and coacting means on said member and said poles to interengage when said member is rotated.

' 4. In a tent frame, a circular cap having a centrally positioned circular sleeve fixed therein, apertured poles radiating from the edge of said cap and swingably engaged therewith, a circular plate beneath said cap and said poles, a tubular post fixed to and rising from the center of said plate, the opening in said post extending through said plate, said post being rotatable in and extending through said sleeve, a pipe fixed to the projecting upper end of said post to support it in said sleeve, and an annular series of circumferentially extending fingers spaced from and around the edge of said plate to simultaneously enter the apertures in said poles when said plate and its post are rotated.

5. In a tent frame, a circular cap, a pair of main ridge poles having their inner ends pivotally connected to said cap at diametrcally opposite points, said poles being swingable from downwardly inclined positions to horizontal longitudinally-alined positions, said poles being formed with transverse apertures and with downwardly projecting apertured lugs, a pole-bracing and locking member beneath said cap and poles and supported from said cap for rotation coaxially with' said cap, and ciroumferentially spaced and projecting fingers positioned on said member for engagement with the apertures in said poles when they are in their downwardly inclined positions and for engagement with the apertures in said lugs when they are in their longitudinally-alined positions.

6. A frame adapted to support the canvas of different types of tents comprising a circular cap, ridge poles pivotally iconnected to said cap and including two diametrically arranged main poles swingable from inclined to horizontal positions and intermediate poles detachable from said cap and engageable with the outer ends of the main poles when the latter are horizontally disposed,

supporting posts pivotally connected to the outer ends of all of said poles and having threaded lower ends, ground-engaging feet detachably engaged with said threaded lower ends, and post extensions having internally threaded sockets at their upper ends and threaded lower ends, said extension posts being applied to the posts pivoted to the outer ends of the main poles when the latter are in their horizontal positions, the sockets receiving the threaded ends of said posts and the feet removed from the latter being applied to the threaded lower ends of said extension posts.

l RICHARD G. HARRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name y Date 1,190,999 Harris July 11, 1916 787,719 Blair Apr. 18, 1905 459,764 Orr Sept. 22, 1891 465,084 Kaufert Dec. 15, 1891 1,661,867 Armstrong Mar. 6, 1928 1,636,507 Goodman July 19, 1927 

